


The Book

by icymuze



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi, it just happened ok, this is sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 10:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2425952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icymuze/pseuds/icymuze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On their anniversary, Courfeyrac receives a package.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Book

When his front door rang, a man with a package standing there, Courfeyrac was surprised (to say the least). He hadn't had visitors in years. The seventy-two-year-old hauled himself out of his armchair and walked over to the door. He didn't like visitors, especially not on today's date. 

He managed to be polite to the courier, if not pleasant. The package was kind of heavy, and when he opened it up, Courf discovered why. There was a large book in there, handmade and worn; it looked to be well loved. There were no words on the cover, no author. The old man sighed and opened it to the first page, gasping when he saw the contents.

> _Hello, Courf, love. We know it's been a really long time, and forgive us if we hope it's a while longer. We all want you to live forever! Enjolras had the idea for this book after the riot where he got stabbed. He was always so reckless. It drove us all mad. He wanted something for the rest of us to hold onto, in case we had to leave before the rest._  
>  The night Enjolras left for real, he gave me letters to give out, one for each of us. Yours is in here, of course.  
>  I don't know how we could have expected Grantaire to continue on for much longer after Enjolras was gone. He was R's lifeforce, really. No matter how much we loved the artist, I don't think he could have made it any longer than he did. He included a letter as well, the one directed towards the two of us that I'm sure you know by heart.  
>  I knew one day I'd leave you, too; no one in my family lived longer than 75, and when the diagnosis of cancer came, it wasn't much of a surprise. I'm sorry I hid it from you for so long, but I didn't want you to worry for a moment. I spent those 20 years we had together compiling everything that reminded me of the four of us, and I eventually had it made into a book. Feuilly made this whole thing, because who else would know how to hand craft a book?  
>  I scheduled this to be delivered on our anniversary for a reason. Just remember that we're all there with you, love. And you'll be with us soon, because nothing can keep the four of us separate for long.  
>  I love you. E loves you. R loves you.  
>  Read well,  
>  Combeferre 

Courfeyrac was in tears. After all this time... He held onto the book, hugging it tightly. He had been alone for so long, and here they were, all of them. The inside of the book was amazing. Sketches from R, drafts of Enjolras' speeches. Combeferre's meticulous annotations on everything. It was a detail of their entire lives, and there were letters from all of his boys, declarations of love that made the wound in Courfeyrac's soul ache.

For the next two years, Courfeyrac looked at the book almost every day. He cried often, his fingers missing the warmth from the three other parts of his soul.

 

When they found his body, he was curled around the book, a small smile on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry not sorry


End file.
